So the DNR post numbers and compares them from last years can someone tell me the numbers of birds harvested say7- 10 years ago compared to this year? Not near the birds around as there once was what happened?

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Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. Albert Einstein

Seeing less around here also. For a couple years now. Yotes are thick in the areas I used to see the turkeys. It’s all no hunting so not much anyone can do. We see the yotes in town now. Early mornings and late evenings mostly. Probably feasting on fawns and baby geese about now

In 2004, there were 498 youth and 15,066 spring turkeys harvested. This year we had preliminary totals of 781 youth and 12,732 spring season take.
The highest youth kill was 1,300 in 2012; and the highest regular spring turkey total was 15,836 in 2010. Combined all seasons (spring & fall), the most turkeys taken was 18,054 in 2006.

Thx Dozer new you would have the numbers. Joe I think it’s a lil more than a bad year a number of things have got our Turkey population down, numbers are down almost 20% if my math is right and it’s not always right that’s why I measure twice and cut once lol. What year did Turkey season start in Il by the way 2000,2001? can’t remember?

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Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. Albert Einstein

Turkey hunting opened in limited counties long before 2000. If I am not mistaken, my first turkey hunt was in 1999 or 2000 and was hooked 10 minutes into daylight when I shot a great tom on my very first hunt. I have not personally noticed a drop in overall numbers since then, but I am sure that differs in other areas.

In April of 1970 Illinois had its first turkey season in 67 years, with a gobbler only hunt in Alexander, Union, and Jackson counties. Approximately 1,000 hunters took 25 birds during the 3-day season. By 1987 the season was 12 days long in 22 open counties, and the take was 1410 birds.

I live in Plainfield, in Will Co. I have flocks of turkeys just south of me within 5 miles. Just yesterday I saw about 18 or so in a picked cornfield. This has all come about in the last 10 years. The comeback is similar to the Canadian Goose. I remember being about 4 years old and my dad pointing to a strange looking brown bird in the sky and saying “look son, that’s a Canada Goose”... we also used to listen to the bobwhite quail in the evening in the woods across the river…